The public service remit entails a commitment to quality, which is why SRG SSR’s strategic aim is to defend its market lead through quality, social relevance and diversity.

Quality writ large

The Concession imposes special requirements in terms of the quality of radio and television programming. SRG SSR’s programme output has to meet high quality and ethical standards. The individual programme areas stand out thanks to their credibility, responsible attitude, relevance and journalistic professionalism. The Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications also points out in its notes on the Concession that these quality criteria must be applied in equal measure to the fields of news and current affairs, entertainment, education and culture. This legal framework forms the basis for SRG SSR’s general quality standards and for its duty of accountability towards the legislature.

• General standards: The corporate principles and the national Programming Charter are binding for all SRG SSR staff and for every single programme. The various enterprise units also observe a number of other complimentary documents, including the Journalistic Guidelines as well as individual charters and manuals. These standards provide the foundation for producing first-class journalistic work.  

• Training: SRG SSR’s corporate principles include a commitment to promoting creativity and professionalism among its staff, so it makes strategic investments in training. A broad selection of courses are offered, ranging from video journalism and languages to leadership and social skills. SRG SSR also works with external providers, one example being the Swiss College of Journalism MAZ, of which it is a patron.

• Internal monitoring: The SRG SSR enterprise units use a variety of methods to ensure ongoing quality control. These include programme monitoring, quality management checks and institutionalised feedback.

• Public councils (audience representation): The public councils comprise representatives of various sections of the population. They assess radio and television programmes in focus groups, issue media releases aimed at the general public and make specific suggestions for improvements.

• External supervision: The Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC) is the official supervisory body as regards programme quality. It mandates other organisations, including universities, to monitor SRG SSR programmes from a scientific viewpoint. 

Quality demands placed on staff and systems

SRG SSR invests in training for its staff with a view to ensuring solid, unbiased research and reporting. Outside the enterprise, meanwhile, it also plays a part in helping the next generation of broadcasters by supporting the Swiss College of Journalism MAZ and the Centre Romand de Formation des Journalistes (CRFJ)with both financing and know-how in that experienced SRG SSR staff pass on their knowledge in courses.

SRG SSR enjoys a good reputation in terms of innovation and adopting new technologies. The most recent examples here are the introduction of digital radio with DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) and digital television with HDTV (High Definition Television).

The enterprise units and programme-makers of SRG SSR have received many prizes and awards in recent years for their journalism, editorial work, new programme concepts, technical advances and studio design. One high-profile example was the performance of the opera La Traviata at Zurich’s main railway station in September 2008, which received two international prizes.

Quality in radio and television

• As close to the audience as possible: SRG SSR offers radio and television programmes that live up to international standards while maintaining a national focus and incorporating regional aspects. In other words, it produces programmes that are tailored as closely as possible to its audience’s needs.

• Ratings through quality: SRG SSR’s radio stations are market leaders in all four language regions. Its television channels, too, hold their own against the wide range of foreign programming on the market. The radio and television companies also offer websites to accompany their programmes with more in-depth content.

• Unique thanks to in-house productions: Self-produced news, current affairs and entertainment programmes help SRG SSR’s radio stations and television channels to stand out from their foreign rivals with a unique offering.